Refrigeration device

ABSTRACT

An improved refrigeration device includes a storage compartment, a door body adapted to open or close the storage compartment, a storage box accommodated in the storage compartment, a bracket mounted on the door body, a slide rail in sliding connection to the bracket and the storage compartment, and a supporting member mounted on the slide rail. A length of the bracket is less than a length of the storage box, and the supporting member and the bracket together support the storage box. Therefore, a shorter and fixed length bracket can be matched with the supporting member to support the storage box with a different length, to be adapted to the storage compartment with a different depth.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of Chinese Patent Application CN 202023152972.2, filed Dec. 24, 2020; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of household appliance technologies, and in particular, to an improved refrigeration device.

In the prior art, a drawer door body of a refrigeration device generally is in sliding connection to an inner side wall of a storage compartment through a bracket and a guide rail assembly, where the bracket is further adapted to support a storage box accommodated in the storage compartment.

Generally, to enable the bracket to stably support the storage box, a length of the bracket is often the same as or similar to a length of the storage box, but the length of the storage box often changes with a depth of the storage compartment. Therefore, the length of the bracket needs to change with the length of the storage box and the depth of the storage compartment. However, at each change, a new bracket needs to be reconstructed, injection molded, and manufactured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved refrigeration device, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a refrigeration device including a storage compartment, a door body adapted to open or close the storage compartment, a storage box accommodated in the storage compartment, a bracket mounted on the door body, a slide rail in sliding connection with the bracket and the storage compartment, and a supporting member mounted on the slide rail, in which a length of the bracket is less than a length of the storage box, and the supporting member and the bracket together support the storage box.

Optionally, the supporting member includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion that are connected to each other and form an angle, the first supporting portion is mounted on the slide rail, and the second supporting portion abuts against the storage box.

Optionally, the angle is 90 degrees.

Optionally, the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion together form a “T”-shaped or inverted “L”-shaped cross section.

Optionally, a first reinforcing rib is provided in a part in which the first supporting portion is connected to the second supporting portion.

Optionally, a groove is provided in the part in which the first supporting portion is connected to the second supporting portion, to form the first reinforcing rib.

Optionally, the supporting member is detachably mounted on the slide rail.

Optionally, the supporting member and the bracket are located on a same side of the slide rail.

Optionally, the supporting member and the bracket are disposed side by side along a length direction of the storage box.

Optionally, a length of the bracket is ½ to ⅔ of the length of the storage box.

Optionally, the storage box has a flange adapted to be supported on the bracket and the supporting member, the flange includes a first flange supported on the bracket and a second flange that is not supported on the bracket, and the supporting member is supported on a middle part of the second flange.

Optionally, the flange has a second reinforcing rib disposed at least toward the bracket and the supporting member.

Compared with the prior art, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the invention have beneficial effects. For example, a shorter and fixed length bracket can be matched with the supporting member to support the storage box with a different length, to be adapted to the storage compartment with a different depth.

In another example, because the length of the bracket is shorter than the length of the storage box, materials and costs can be saved.

In another example, because the length of the bracket is shorter, the bracket can be prevented from being easily deformed due to long-term bearing, which helps the bracket to maintain horizontal orientation during use, to stably support the storage box.

In another example, because the length of the bracket does not need to be changed when the bracket is applied to the storage box with a different length, processes of reconstructing, injection molding, and manufacturing due to the change of the length of the bracket can be omitted, so that the bracket is highly universal and can be mass-produced, and time, effort, and costs can be saved.

In another example, because the supporting member is detachably mounted on the slide rail and has an adjustable position, the supporting member can support the storage box with a different length using the same slide rail.

In another example, a majority of weight of the storage box can be supported on the bracket by setting the length of the bracket to ½ to ⅔ of the length of the storage box, to help ensure bearing strength of the storage box, thereby avoiding deformation or shaking of the storage box due to overloading.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a refrigeration device, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective, structural view of a refrigeration device according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective, structural view of a storage box according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a storage compartment according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the storage compartment shown in FIG. 3 at a supporting member; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective, structural view of a supporting member according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the prior art, a drawer door body of a refrigeration device generally is in sliding connection to an inner side wall of a storage compartment through a bracket and a guide rail assembly, where the bracket is further adapted to support a storage box accommodated in the storage compartment. Generally, a length of the bracket needs to change with a length of the storage box and a depth of the storage compartment. However, at each change, a new bracket needs to be reconstructed, injection molded, and manufactured.

In contrast to the prior art, embodiments of the present invention provide an improved refrigeration device. The refrigeration device includes: a storage compartment, a door body adapted to open or close the storage compartment, a storage box accommodated in the storage compartment, a bracket mounted on the door body, a slide rail in sliding connection to the bracket and the storage compartment, and a supporting member mounted on the slide rail, where a length of the bracket is less than a length of the storage box, and the supporting member and the bracket together support the storage box.

As compared with the prior art, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the invention have beneficial effects. For example, a shorter and fixed length bracket can be matched with the supporting member to support the storage box with a different length, to be adapted to the storage compartment with a different depth.

In another example, because the length of the bracket is shorter than the length of the storage box, materials and costs can be saved. Because the length of the bracket is shorter, the bracket can be prevented from being easily deformed due to long-term bearing, which helps the bracket to maintain horizontal orientation during use, to stably support the storage box. Because the length of the bracket does not need to be changed when the bracket is applied to the storage box with a different length, processes of reconstructing, injection molding, and manufacturing due to the change of the length of the bracket can be omitted, so that the bracket is highly universal and can be mass-produced, and time, effort, and costs can be saved.

In order to make the foregoing objective, features, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of the invention more apparent and easier to understand, specific embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a refrigeration device 10 according to an embodiment of the invention, which includes a storage compartment 100, a door body 200 corresponding to the storage compartment 100, and a storage box 300 accommodated in the storage compartment 100.

Specifically, the refrigeration device 10 is an appliance adapted to store items at a temperature below a room temperature. For example, it may be a refrigerator or a freezer. The storage compartment 100 of the refrigeration device 10 may include a refrigerating compartment and/or a freezing compartment, and has a temperature below a room temperature to be adapted to store items. The door body 200 is disposed corresponding to the storage compartment 100, and is adapted to open or close the storage compartment 100 to take in-and-out items. The storage box 300 is accommodated in the storage compartment 100 to make it convenient for accommodating items.

In specific implementation, the storage compartment 100 has a pair of inner side walls (not shown) disposed opposite to each other. The door body 200 may be mounted on the inner side wall of the storage compartment 100 through a bracket 400 and a guide rail assembly.

Specifically, the guide rail assembly includes a fixed rail (not shown) mounted on the inner side wall of the storage compartment 100 and a slide rail 500 in sliding connection to the fixed rail. The bracket 400 is mounted on one side of the door body 200 facing inside the storage compartment 100, and fixedly connected to the slide rail 500.

Therefore, the bracket 400 may slide outward relative to the fixed rail with the slide rail 500, to drive the door body 200 to pull outward relative to the storage compartment 100 to open the storage compartment 100, or slide inward relative to the fixed rail with the slide rail 500, to drive the door body 200 to push inward relative to the storage compartment 100 to close the storage compartment 100.

In this embodiment of the invention, the storage box 300 is supported on the bracket 400.

Referring to FIG. 2, the storage box 300 has an opening 320 opened upward and a pair of flanges 310 disposed along an edge of the opening 320.

Specifically, the pair of flanges 310 of the storage box 300 are respectively disposed toward the pair of inner side walls of the storage compartment 100, and both extend along a sliding direction of the bracket 400.

In specific implementation, the door body 200 is in sliding connection to the pair of inner side walls of the storage compartment 100 through a pair of brackets 400 and a pair of guide rail assemblies. The pair of flanges 310 of the storage box 300 are respectively supported on the pair of brackets 400.

In specific implementation, the extending direction of the pair of flanges 310 may be used as a length direction of the storage box 300, and a length of the storage box 300 is indicated as l.

In this embodiment of the invention, a length of the bracket 400 is less than the length l of the storage box 300.

In one or more embodiments, the length of the bracket 400 may be ½ to ⅔ of the length l of the storage box 300. Therefore, a majority of weight of the storage box 300 can be supported on the bracket 400 to help ensure bearing strength of the storage box 300, thereby avoiding deformation or shaking of the storage box 300 due to overloading.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the refrigeration device 10 further includes a supporting member 600 mounted on the slide rail 500. The supporting member 600 is adapted to support the storage box 300 together with the bracket 400.

In specific implementation, one side of the storage box 300 close to the door body 200 and facing the storage compartment 100 is supported on the bracket 400. The supporting member 600 is located on an inner side of the bracket 400, that is, located toward one side of the bracket 400 facing inside the storage compartment 100, and is adapted to support the flange 310 of the storage box 300 together with the bracket 400.

Therefore, a shorter and fixed length bracket 400 can be matched with the supporting member 600 to support the storage box 300 with a different length, to be adapted to the storage compartment 100 with a different depth (the depth of the storage compartment 100 extends along the length direction of the storage box 300).

Further, because the length of the bracket 400 is shorter than the length of the storage box 300, materials and costs can be saved.

Further, because the length of the bracket 400 is shorter, the bracket 400 can be prevented from being easily deformed due to long-term bearing, which helps the bracket 400 to maintain horizontal orientation during use, to stably support the storage box 300.

Further, because the length of the bracket 400 does not need to be changed when the bracket 400 is applied to the storage box 300 with a different length, processes of reconstructing, injection molding, and manufacturing due to the change of the length of the bracket 400 can be omitted, so that the bracket 400 is highly universal and can be mass-produced, and time, effort, and costs can be saved.

Specifically, the flange 310 of the storage box 300 may include a first flange 311 supported on the bracket 400 and a second flange 312 that is not supported on the bracket 400. The second flange 312 is located on one side of the first flange 311 facing inside the storage compartment 100. The supporting member 600 is supported on the second flange 312.

In one or more embodiments, the supporting member 600 may be supported on a middle part of the second flange 312, to help stabilize the storage box 300, thereby preventing the storage box 300 from being tilted or deformed due to uneven force.

Referring to FIG. 5, in specific implementation, the supporting member 600 may include a first supporting portion 610 and a second supporting portion 620 that are connected to each other and form an angle θ. The first supporting portion 610 is mounted on the slide rail 500, and the second supporting portion 620 abuts against the flange 310 (specifically, the second flange 312) of the storage box 300.

In one or more embodiments, the angle θ may be 90 degrees, to help the supporting member 600 to stably support the flange 310 of the storage box 300.

In one or more embodiments, the first supporting portion 610 and the second supporting portion 620 may further together form a “T”-shaped or inverted “L”-shaped cross section. Therefore, the supporting member 600 is not only simple in structure, easy to manufacture, and highly practical, but also can stably support the flange 310 of the storage box 300.

In one or more embodiments, a first reinforcing rib 630 is provided in a part in which the first supporting portion 610 is connected to the second supporting portion 620, to prevent the supporting member 600 from being deformed due to long-term bearing.

Specifically, a groove may be provided in the part in which the first supporting portion 610 is connected to the second supporting portion 620, to form the first reinforcing rib 630. Therefore, the supporting member 600 is not only simple in structure, but also easy to manufacture and highly practical.

In one or more embodiments, the flange 310 (including the first flange 311 and the second flange 312) further has a second reinforcing rib 313 disposed at least toward the bracket 400 and the supporting member 600, to increase the bearing strength of the flange 310, thereby preventing the flange 310 from being deformed due to long-term bearing.

Specifically, the second reinforcing rib 313 may be a rib-shaped reinforcing member independent from the flange 310.

In one or more embodiments, the supporting member 600 is detachably mounted on the slide rail 500. Therefore, a mounting position of the supporting member 600 is adjustable, to be adapted to the storage box 300 with a different length.

Specifically, the first supporting portion 610 of the supporting member 600 and the slide rail 500 may be respectively provided with a first screw hole 640 and a second screw hole (not shown), to mount the supporting member 600 detachably on the slide rail 500 with screws.

In specific implementation, there may be a plurality or a plurality of sets of second screw holes, to be adapted to mount the supporting member 600 on different positions of the slide rail 500.

In one or more embodiments, the supporting member 600 and the bracket 400 may be disposed side by side along the length direction of the storage box 300, and top ends of the two are flush, to help more stably support the storage box 300.

In one or more embodiments, the supporting member 600 and the bracket 400 may be alternatively located on a same side of the slide rail 500. For example, the supporting member 600 and the bracket 400 may be both located on one side of the slide rail 500 facing the inner side wall of the storage compartment 100 adjacent to the slide rail. Therefore, mounting space and accommodating space of the bracket 400 and the supporting member 600 can be saved.

Although specific implementation solutions have been described above, these implementation solutions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, even if only one implementation is described with respect to specific features. The feature example provided in the invention is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, unless otherwise stated. In specific implementation, the technical features of one or more dependent claims can be combined with the technical features of the independent claims as far as technically feasible according to actual needs, and the technical features from the corresponding independent claims can be combined in any appropriate manner, rather than only in the specific combinations listed in the claims.

Although the invention is disclosed above, the invention is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the invention should be subject to the scope defined by the claims. 

1. A refrigeration device, comprising: a storage compartment; a door body adapted to open or close said storage compartment; a storage box accommodated in said storage compartment, said storage box having a length; a bracket mounted on said door body, said bracket having a length being less than said length of said storage box; a slide rail in sliding connection with said bracket and said storage compartment; and a supporting member mounted on said slide rail; said supporting member and said bracket together supporting said storage box.
 2. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion connected to each other and forming an angle, said first supporting portion is mounted on said slide rail, and said second supporting portion abuts against said storage box.
 3. The refrigeration device according to claim 2, wherein said angle is 90 degrees.
 4. The refrigeration device according to claim 2, wherein said first supporting portion and said second supporting portion together form a T-shaped or inverted L-shaped cross section.
 5. The refrigeration device according to claim 2, wherein said first supporting portion and said second supporting portion are connected to each other at a part in which a first reinforcing rib is provided.
 6. The refrigeration device according to claim 5, wherein said part in which said first supporting portion and said second supporting portion are connected to each other has a groove formed therein, and said groove forms said first reinforcing rib.
 7. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member is detachably mounted on said slide rail.
 8. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member and said bracket are located on a same side of said slide rail.
 9. The refrigeration device according to claim 8, wherein said supporting member and said bracket are disposed side by side along a length direction of said storage box.
 10. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein said length of said bracket is ½ to ⅔ of said length of said storage box.
 11. The refrigeration device according to claim 1, wherein: said storage box has a flange adapted to be supported on said bracket and said supporting member; said flange includes a first flange supported on said bracket and a second flange not supported on said bracket; and said supporting member is supported on a middle part of said second flange.
 12. The refrigeration device according to claim 11, wherein said flange has a second reinforcing rib facing at least toward said bracket and said supporting member. 